The nonviolent overthrow of a sovereign or government by senior officials within the ruling group.
‘Some writers prefer to set out a spectrum of revolutionary aims and outcomes, ranging from total social transformation to change of the ruling general or dictator - the so-called palace revolution.’
‘Nobody pointed out that by this time, she was so widely unpopular, within months her own party would organise a palace coup to depose her.’
‘The conclusion the opposition has reluctantly reached is that there is no way other than war to remove a tyrant whose five secret police forces make a palace coup or popular uprising impossible.’
‘But, he suggested, ‘This is not about a palace coup or an uprising against the gray hairs, but a movement in an organization around a cause.’’
‘It hoped for a neat palace coup not a revolution.’
‘He was ousted by a palace revolution in February 1866, and the Romanians eventually secured their foreign prince.’
‘And certainly, despite claims of a palace coup led by ambitious colleagues within the Parliament, it seems that the post is not exactly flush with possible candidates.’
‘In Russian history, the only means of resisting the government had been by peasant insurrection or palace revolution by courtiers and soldiers, like the failed 1825 Decembrist rising by guards officers.’
‘Especially when compared with modern revolutions, it seems rather to resemble a palace coup than a genuine shift of social or political power.’
‘Five of its ten leaders died in office, three were removed by revolutions and one by a palace coup.’
seizure of power, coup, overthrow, takeover, ousting, deposition, regime change
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